Carpet Beetle Larva
There are no uninteresting insects, only insects that are insufficiently magnified
S_ found this little larva while cleaning out a cupboard. It was in the back of the shelf, happily chowing down on a dead ant.
So far, it just looks like your typical little thing with lots of legs. Let’s zoom in a bit:
Ah, that’s better. Now we can see that it doesn’t actually have lots of legs, what it does have is a lot of bristles that stick almost straight out, or maybe angled a bit towards the head. There are also two tufts of bristles on the tail.
On the underside, we can see the actual legs, which aren’t really a lot longer than the bristles. It also has bristles on the bottom of the abdomen that give it an amusing, needs-a-shave sort of look. Note that, unlike butterfly and moth caterpillars, it does not have prolegs on the abdomen (beetle larvae do not have prolegs, only the six true legs). We can see the legs a bit better in the next picture, where it is trying to flip itself over:
At first, I thought that this was a larva of a larder beetle, like this one I posted a few months ago. But, looking at it more closely (particularly the tufts of bristles on the abdomen), I think its actually a carpet beetle, probably genus Anthrenus . I’ve been finding these Buffalo Carpet Beetles around the house, and so there is a good chance that this larva would have grown up to be one of them. Larder beetles and carpet beetles are all types of dermestid beetles, but while the larder beetle is more into stored foodstuffs, the carpet beetles are rather keen on animal proteins that are normally considered indigestible (hair, wool, feathers, skin, exoskeletons of other insects, that sort of thing).
Carpet beetles are evidently one of those species from arid or semi-arid regions that have moved into the house environment. They are adapted to a lack of water, and so can manage in spite of the dryness of the average house. Their original environment was apparently bird and mammal nests, where they ate the bits of debris that the inhabitants shed (and, in cases where the inhabitants died, ate what was left of their mummified corpses after the flies and carrion beetles were done with them. Once the dermestid beetles finish, they leave nothing behind but the polished bones of the animals’ dry, articulated skeletons)[1]. Basically, these beetles are still living in mammal nests, it’s just that these nests are now our houses instead of a hole in the ground with, say, a badger living in it.
As I mentioned in the larder beetle entry, the diet of dermestid beetles makes them real murder on things like insect collections, taxidermy, wool products, natural-fiber carpets, and museum specimens. They are also likely to be around regardless of how clean you keep your house. Even if the carpets are synthetic fibers, there are always bits of dead skin and hair, miscellaneous organic dirt, and the remains of insects that got in, couldn’t hack the indoors environment, and died. They’re in overlooked corners, under beds, in carpets, you name it. I even found one crawling across the ceiling in a very new house downstate which has only two people living in it and no pets, and is kept scrupulously clean. Seek and ye shall find, and all that. They are there, somewhere. Count on it.
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[1] A while back, we were doing some work on the walls in the house, and found a perfect mouse skeleton. Not a trace of hair, flesh, or skin, just a complete and undamaged skeleton still posed in its original owner’s final death throes. The dermestid beetles had obviously been at it.
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How in god’s name did you never notice any of that?
After a battle now for three years the infestation is now only somewhere in my laundry chute.there is an old mouse nest I can see with a flashlight in my baesment ceiling close to where my clothes come out of the chute but there is no way to reach the nest and clean the area.so now to prevent my clothes from getting holes in them I no longr put my shirts in the chute.I carry them to the basement when I’m ready to wash them.This is not the solution I was hoping to achieve.I want to erradicate them from my home.I need to get to that area in my basement ceiling but I’m at a loss as to how.
Arlene,
I still feel they are attracted to the smell of water. The skin cells left in my shower would be covered with soap. I would have more, uncontaminated skin and hair cells on my carpet, but I have never found beetles there, probably because the carpet is synthetic. What is interesting to me is that they don’t seem to feed on the fur from my pets. I say this because I have never found any beetles in the little pet bed I have for my pets. They were usually found near wool clothes, near water sources and near my pet litter box, leading me to believe that their primary reason for migrating to those places was an attraction to the smells of those areas. I’m guessing this same sense of smell is also how the adults find the flowers that have the nectar they seek for energy primary to mating. So this is my best guess based on my own empirical evidence. Nevertheless, the “furniture carpet beetles” I had may have different abilities and habits and be much less aggressive than the varieties that most people on this site have. Also, I had a minor infestation, even though it lasted for a number of years before I realized what was going on.
Michelle,
Go the the hardware store and ask for an extension-pole cleaning tool. It is a pole that has smaller poles inside that can be pulled out. Once you extend an inside pole, you twist it until it holds in place, and then pull the next one out if you need it. There are different dusters and brushes that can be attached to the top. With a 16-foot extension pole you can reach at least 20 feet up. If the typical household extension pole is too flimsy for the job, there are also tree-pruning and tree-fruit-picking extension poles that are sturdier and have different tools on top. The household poles are the cheapest alternative. If this is not suitable for the location of the nest, you might have to get a very tall ladder. These ladders can be expensive and are quite heavy, so you might need help putting them up. It might just be easier to hire a handyman to get the nest down. Use a 25-foot tape measure from the hardware store to measure how high up the nest is so you can tell the handyman how high up he needs to get. Or ask around the neighborhood and see if anyone has a tall ladder and can help. From what I’ve read, old nests are a major attractant, since the beetles like to feed on the carcasses of any dead thing, including all the tiny bugs that would be attracted to old nests. In my home, a major food source was the tiny larva carcasses of a wool-eating moth.
P.S. It’s interesting that they did not eat the cocoons left behind by the larvae, but only the empty shells of the larvae.
vince I noticed because I went through every square in of my house and put delta dust in EVERY outlet cover first unscrewing them putting the dust in and screwing them back on.The same for every light ficture and drilled holes above all baseboards on outer walls and dusted also swept every crack crevise I could think of and reach!Della’thank you so much for the excellent advice!I will be buying a poll this week.I can get to the area with a regular house ladder just can’t reach that far in.I will clean area as best I can with an extension pole then I was thinking of putting a bomb in that area as far as I could reach but I’m worried if it doesn’t kill the larva it will only drive them up into my first floor and I definetly don’t want that since I did all that work to my 1900sq ft home.Anyone have any advice on bombing?Thanks again Della I’ll post how it went when I get finished
Hey Guess what??!! I haven’t been on here in a while. I’ve been really busy. Anyhoo, I just went to the kitchen sink to grab a rag. A wet rag that was hanging in the middle of my sink. I usually only keep the rags a day or two. Anyway, there was a live adult carpet beetle hanging out on the rag. Arrgghh! My kitchen sink has a window in front of it. I live in southeast Texas, where pretty much any bug can live there all year round. OHhhhh well. Let the battle begin…
Katies….Interesting….I live in VA where it is still 30-40 degrees here and I noticed a live grown beetle yesterday crawling in my bedroom. I was trying to figure out if it is one that hatched from larvae that was already here, or one that came inside to lay eggs. I’m still not sure. This is my first beetle sighting…I have only seen larvae prior to this. Also I had hardly seen any of the larvae for a few months now. I am worried again…UGH!
Yeah we have actually had a couple of hard freezes the last couple of weeks, but here where I live off the coast the weather is so up and down from one day to the next. That’s a good question I didn’t really think about, I just assumed it came from my window, but it might have hatched from inside….UGH!
Six weeks now and have found nothing……I am keeping my fingers crossed and my vacuum very busy!
Yep…get your vacuums ready….spring is a comin…it was 73 degrees today and mosquito hawks are out. On Friday it was in the 20-30 degrees, now it’s 70-50. I have heard people have had good luck with Ortho home defense. For what it’s worth, I found two adults in the corner area of my bathroom when I first discovered these things, and I sprayed the Ortho in my bathroom only. Haven’t seen any since then. I too have been vacuuming like crazy especially the baseboards. FYI I don’t have ANY carpet in my house. Just a couple of small rugs that I vacuum and wash regularly.
Are these the adult beetles???? Ok, I have found 5 live adult beetles in my house over the past 2 days. I dont know if they are carpet beetles though. I thought they were, but now I’m not so sure. Does anyone know if carpet beetles suddenly turn black when they are touched? Whatever this bug is, it seems to turn black and just look like a piece of dirt when I pick it up. This must be its way of disguising itself with enemies…Also, they are very tiny, like the size of a small tick. Does anyone know?????
I moved in about five months ago and the place seemed newer and clean. I did notice these beetles on the baseboards occassionally but i did a full clean of my place around christmas and I did not see them for over a month. Then recently I started seeing them and I recently watched a show on infestation and thought I should clean. I found a bumch of dead ones underneath a kitchen cabinet and a bunch near the sliding glass door. I started freaking out and notified my landlord. We had a terminix manager come out to see the place and he said it was pretty severe even though my clothes don’t seem to have holes and I’m not I’ve ever seen the larvae. I think I have all three of the carpet beetle. He said he would do a deep freeze with liquid nitrogen which should kill all stages but has anyone ever have wxperience with this and did it work? I’m at work so I can’t combat these bugs all day. I really want them gone because any bug makes me itch. I really hope this freeze works otherwise I might be tempted to break my lease and move. My landlords are wonderful but I have to live with these and it worries me to death.
I love carpet beetles and was interested in this article. I discovered some tiny beetles in my house, ages ago and didn’t think much of them. My daughter and I just played with the odd one that we would find, although we didn’t know their name at the time. Then a while later I saw some strange little furry things wriggling around behind my bed. I googled various descriptions of them, until I saw an exact photo of them and realised they were carpet beetle larvae, and that they were related to the beetles we’d been playing with! I think they’re fascinating. Thanks for the information.
I posted on this site many months ago and many other sites like this. My obsession with carpet beetles developed 5 or more years ago. It took over my life and I ended up being diagnosed with OCD. I just wanted to say that carpet beetles are in all houses, you can’t eliminate them totally. It’s just that some people don’t notice them or aren’t bothered about them. I still hate them and still get neurotic about them from time to time but I try and tell myself they are inevitable. They live off things that are impossible to eradicate totally in a house (dead insects, skin flakes, hair, dust) I vacuum daily and keep my house immaculately clean but still they are there. I recently moved to a house which is only 4 years old and saw evidence of carpet beetles before I moved any of my belongings in there (yes, I was looking along the skirting boards and saw the odd cast larval skin) Same thing with my old house, they were there before I moved my stuff in. I’ve seen them at work, in my BFs house and my parents house. I think it’s just about taking precautions to minimise their success to breed. I still hate them but am desperately trying to learn to live with them and accept that the odd ones will still show up no matter what I do!
Juliette, have you had a professional pest control company come out and spray your home? Mine just got sprayed yesterday and they told me to vacuum everything. They said if you have a bagless vacuum to empty it out and also to clean the filter in hot water, I guess because there may be eggs laying in there. The company (Terminix) told me they’re pretty certain it will get rid of them, but I have my doubts still judging from the stories on this thread. They said if I still see them in 30 days they’ll come out and spray again. Right now I have all of my clothes backed into heavy duty bags to either keep the beetles away from my clothes or keep them in (though I don’t think they were in my clothes to begin with). Everything is being washed in hot water and dried at high temps, to hopefully kill any that may be in there.
Don’t feel bad, I’m super paranoid too. I’m constantly checking my baseboards and carpet to find the stray beetle, even before I knew what they were and the damage they can cause.
Juliette, I could not agree with you more. I have seen them in every house that I have been in. I can’t stand the things. I get really irritated if I see one. Since I noticed these in my house, and since I have been on this website, I remind people on here that I truly believe that these carpet beetles are in every house and every building. I have seen them in the nicest cleanest newest houses, and wasn’t even looking for them.
Yesterday was the day they sprayed my place. This morning before I left for work, I did a once around and look for any more. I saw what I believe to be an egg sac, because it was clear and almost transparent. It looked almost like a rice grain but I knew it could not be because I did a thorough vacuum of the whole house. So I smashed it and it looked like guts inside so I knew for sure it was perhaps a carpet beetle egg. I’ve never seen this before, only live adults. I come back from work and found 5 more adult beetles in my kitchen. It seems to be the area where I see them most at this point. I have not used the kitchen for a week for fear of leaving them more “food.” I feel like I have all three of the beetles, and it seem like the black beetle is on one side of the kitchen and the varied or carpet is on the otherh side of the kitchen. I called my terminator and asked if I should still be seeing them, and he said yes because it’s a residual effect, but he asked me if they were dead. I asked him how could I tell? And he said if they were not moving. The thing is, I have rarely seen them move. They all pretty much seem to be stationary. I’ve only seen two move at a very slow pace, but the rest never see to be moving. He said if I still see them in 2 weeks, then he amended it to 8 days, he said they would come back and spray. I had my doubts about the first time they sprayed, because originally he mentioned a “deep freeze” treatment but then changed it to something less abrasive which seems like the ingredients most people have listed before. I wasn’t happy about that, but my landlords are paying for it so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it. I am willing to wait, but I have a bunch of laundry to do which I’m not sure is worth doing at this point if they’re just going to come back. I think by the 2nd spray, if I still see them, I’ll consider moviing but I’m just worried I may bring them with me to my ne w place.
cynthia, I would definitely keep cleaning and do the laundry!Some or all at least the ones I had or may still have (not sure yet) are attracted to soiled clothing.so keep cleaning and doin laundry it”s worth it and good luck to you
Cynthia-
I would continue with regular cleaning (including laundry). Make sure to use high heat with drying (if possible) and securely bag the clothing items you don’t intend to wear (if you use storage bins, be sure to thoroughly clean them before placing items in them as beetles, unfortunately, can gain access). You can also freeze items in your freezer. In terms of your kitchen, it may be to your advantage to return and check all food items. Carpet beetles don’t solely enjoy the food we leave for them…they can come into our houses with food (pasta, cereal, dog food, etc.).
I freaked out when I found these creatures in my house. I went on a complete rampage! I disposed of countless items. In retrospect, my reaction wasn’t warranted. My heightened awareness and sensitivity has led me to find these suckers in numerous houses (including pristine places where thorough cleaning occurs daily). After sharing my discovery with others, they too have found carpet beetles. I’m nearly convinced these beetles cannot be completely eradicated. While unsettling (as I do not find bugs remotely entertaining!), management is a better goal. This is best achieved through regular cleaning and monitoring (the latter is both a blessing and a curse for me as I’ve developed an eye for these pests!).
I would suspend notions of moving for now. While it’s possible you could inadvertently transport beetles to a new place with you, it’s also quite possible beetles are already hanging out in a new place.
Totally Katie…I’ve seen them in loads of places. I am very clean and tidy (OCD) and vacuum every day and still they are there. I moved from my first flat as they drove me mad even though I didn’t have them in large numbers, just the odd one here and there. Of course I couldn’t escape them as they were in my next house and the next and the next. I didn’t bring them with me as they were there before I moved my stuff in. This house I’m in now is only 4 years old but still they’re here. They live in the fabric of the house, it’s impossible to get in the walls etc and all the places they hang out. There favourite food is dead insects, spiders etc.. I hate them with a passion and would love to be free of them but I think they will always be there in small numbers no matter how hard you try – trust me I try very hard, I vacuum and clean for hours each day. I’ve never had enough to damage anything but I just hate them!
It’s weird, but I’ve never seen these at another house before. I have lived with roommates who were not very clean and had messy dogs and still no bugs. I think I would be ok with them had I only seen a couple every few months or so like how it started, but seeing 50 of them in one day scares me because I am not home often during the workday or weekends. If I’m gone and unable to kill them, I feel like it will become a huge infestation where they’re crawling on my bed and eating the very clothes off my back. the thought of that freaks me out so badly. I don’t know how to justify the cost of living so minimally with no furniture and having to constantly buy new clothes because they’re eating them. Living on my own, I have to be frugal and this beetle problem isn’t helping with the electricity going up because all my lights are on, constant vacuuming and washing. I used to hang dry my clothes in my closet because they shrink in the dryer and also make them faded…is it even possible for me to do this anymore? Or would the wet clothes attract the beetles? i still have not found any clothes or any fabric of mine that have holes in it, maybe because there weren’t very many beetles in my room, but I feel like I can’t assume anything anymore. But I’ve had clothes in my hamper for two weeks or more, and I did not see any bugs in there either. It seems like most are gone, except for the ones in the kitchen. They are coming from under the cabinets and stove fridge even though I’ve cleaned under there. Everything else is packed in glass jars. So I’m still baffled as to why they’re still there. I think if I do move, I would inspect the place thoroughly, ask the owners if there were any pest problems in the past. But I don’t know, I guess I’ll see how this next week pans out.
Hakuna – it might be just as you said – a heightened awareness of it that’s making me freak out. But I feel like I cannot eat or cook in my kitchen for fear that I’m fueling more of them to grow. I can’t even imagine that as it is winter and there is already that much, how much worse summer or spring will be. Especially if I am to go on vacation or leave for an extended time, I don’t thnk I could ever go anywhere now because I would be worrying about how much lint or dust my house is accruing and how much they’re multiplying.
I’m sorry if I’m complaining but I really appreciate those who have responded so I feel like I’m not alone. But I do truly feel alone as most posters here have family or husbands to help them out and give support.
Hello all,
Wow! Over 400 posts, that’s amazing Tim. I’ve not posted too much since Spring 2010, but I do continue to keep up on all the comments on this great web site, which I first came across in the early Spring of 2009.
I’d suggest to everyone to go back to the first page and read all the information over as there is lots and lots of very good suggestions, ideas, concepts, and a lot of feelings that everyone has shared over the years.
Since I can count on one hand whom I’ve ‘personally’ told about having carpet beetles, I still consider this my CBSG (Carpet Beetle Support Group) I still freak out when I see a bug (nothing since last fall, and nothing like it first was) and I still OCD on being clean and keeping my stuff safe and away from the bugs. During the winter months I must admit I do get lazy.
Cynthia, I agree there are lots of people here who have partners, but other than my cats I am single again. CB’s are not considered a pest, and you’ll not get a straight answer from any place before you move there. CB nest and live in the walls. Don’t leave any standing water, or clothes still wet lying around. If you don’t want to use a drier, then that’s up to you but I would not suggest that as instead of your clothes having the faded look they could end up having a holey look. :-0 You’ll then need to put your clothes in a freezer to kill any larvae &/or eggs off after they are dry. Put your items into a plastic bag. Put the plastic bag in the freezer for 72 hours. Remove the bag and let the item thaw. Put the bag back in the freezer for another three days. Repeat this method for two weeks to effectively kill all the carpet beetles and their larvae. Freezer temperature must be below −18 °F. I’ve not found that leaving light on to be all that effective. Put all your items that you don’t want infested or damaged into large sealed Ziploc bags or into Rubbermaid tote containers, all food into containers too.
Since the huge infestation here in 2009, as much as I hated to I’ve sprayed a few times since, and I have found the root of the problem. I live in a row of townhouses. I rent, but the bulk of the rest are owned. After many months of watching people move in and quickly move out, the owner of the unit next to me asked if I could check on his place when it was empty. Guess what was crawly around in a huge way? 3 Varieties or CB’s! The owner was not surprised and seemed to think it was ‘normal’. Since then his place has been sprayed twice, and all the holes between my place and his have been sealed; obviously much too late, since they now are in my walls too but under control.
Ann, I don’t see any pictures. I have had what looked think dirt too but it was black before I touched them, and quickly squished after first I picked it up and found it wasn’t dirt. I do vacuum lots as I imagine you do, and chances that there is plain old dirt lying around are pretty slim.
Good luck! Time to go out and buy another Shop-Vac, as Spring appears to be here.
Barbara – thanks for responding. So are you saying if i wash my clothes in hot water and put them in the dryer on high, I would still need to freeze my clothes? I’ve definitely read all of the posts here because I’m definitely obssessed with getting rid of them. It is day 3 for me since the exterminator came, and today I only found two in the kitchen, one in the morning before work, and one after work. That’s less than the following day. I did find a couple more around the living room. I thought my room was “safe” but totally not. My closet has been empty since I put all my clothes in bags, and I believe I might have found a larvae at the edge of my closet. It didn’t look like anyting else I’d seen before, but it was a brownish color, slightly like a small worm poking out. It wasn’t hairy, so I’m assuming it was newly hatched. I squashed it immediately. That got me spooked and I started looking more around my room and found 3 more adults. Then I saw something really strange…like a brown shaving, it looked almost like a pencil shaving but when I picked it up, i think it was a moth skin. I remember someone saying whenever they saw moth shells, they also saw carpet beetles. I’ve been also spraying Ortho Defense Spray everywhere I see them, and my bottle is almost gone, after less than a week.
Barbara, I also live in condo and I am too wondering if my neighbors may have these too. Do you suggest that I get it sprayed more than once? My exterminator was very confident that this would get rid of them but I seem to be seeing more and in more places than before the spray. It could just be that I’m looking for it now.
Ann – whenever I squish them, they look black to me. But before I squish they look like the ones in the pictures. I’m not sure why they turn black too. Maybe we’re just looking at their underside which is black?
I was embarrassed to tell people about them but now I have, just to see if others have it. A friend of mine told me he found one on his bed! The rest are going to be checking their places to see if they have any. I’m so thankful for this blog, I don’t think I would be as well informed about it all. I don’t see some of the older posters that used to post a lot – I wonder if they finally got rid of theirs?
You are welcome Cynthia, No you would need to do both 🙂 Wash and dry, put your items safely away in a sealed bag or container. Done. I only suggested freezing as an alternative to not drying them in a drier, and leaving them out in the open to air dry and be a meal. It’s considered normal to see more bugs immediately after spraying … as they are trying to save themselves or something 🙂 Do the carpet beetles in your place fly? Did they set up traps?
Since eggs and pupa are unable to be penetrated by the chemical treatment, they will continue to live. After 30 days, they may hatch and live as if you never treated.
This is why you must treat at least twice. They won’t spray again unless they find them IN the traps. One of the varieties around, and this sounds crazy, gets out of the trap quite easily.
I got around that by putting the trap that had a CB in it into a ziplock, and then they can crawl out and back in again while waiting for the exterminator.
It would be nice to hear from some of the ‘old’ folks 🙂
Ok good. Because my freezer is so small I doubt I could fit any clothes in there. So they seem to be attracted to water? it seems the only place I don’t seem to see them regularly is my bathroom and it is always kinda humid in there after I shower. I let the door open to air it out but somehow they usually never get in there. It seemed every room had them except for the bathroom. But as I realized my room wasn’t safe, I won’t assume the bathroom is either.
No, the exterminator did not set up any traps. Should they have? haha the guy told me the only beetles I’d find in my home were on the cd. I sure do wish it was only that. I don’t believe they fly, but I do remember seeing somethings fly, but I think it was something else. Do larvae fly too or just the adults? I know I’ve seen the adults with wings when I smashed them. I can ask the exterminator about the traps the next time they come. I don’t know if I should wait the 8 days or the 30 days they originally said. Or if they should just come and spray both.
I guess my question is – will I ever be able to use a closet again? My landlords had built this really nice closet system and now it’s so sad to see it looking unused.
haha I hope people don’t think I meant to call the older posters “old”. I just meant the posters from 2009 and early 2010 old.
I thought this was interesting…I have been pretty well controlling mine with just regular cleaning and vacuuming, etc. Spring is in the air around here, and bugs are everywhere. Anyway, about a week ago, after everyone had showered and left for work and school, I go into the bathroom, turn the light on, look down at the counter, and there is a puddle of water on the counter. Inside the small puddle is an adult carpet beetle. So I knew right there that they definitely like water.
Cynthia, I ended up getting a small stand up freezer to put books and other items in that can’t be cleaned, treated or dried. Besides water, the bathroom has hair and skin that they like. The traps aren’t meant for killing, it’s just a way to monitor. Larvae do not fly. Check out the other pages here, like this: http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2007/09/29/another-pantry-pest/
Down the road you can get some of those plastic/vinyl clothes covers to use in the closet.
I don’t think anyone will take offence, I was just being a smartass. Have a good weekend.
Since I first became obsessed with Carpet Beetles I’ve seen them in all my homes (before stuff of mine came in so I didn’t bring them) some of the homes were clean when I moved in, some not…evidently the carpet beetles show up no matter what! I’ve also seen them in my parents house, my boyfriends house and I’ve seen the adults before at work and in shops. I search everywhere in my house for a breeding ground but find nothing. I only ever see them in small numbers in random, different parts of the house. I’m sure they could be found in 99% of houses if one looked hard enough, I’m an expert at seeking them out now (sadly) I despise them but I’m not sure why – they’ve never damaged anything of mine, I just hate the idea of having a hidden infestation or something. Now it’s Spring I’ve been seeing the adults – 12 in total so far. I’ve only lived in this house about 7 weeks, it’s only 4 years old and isn’t dirty. I’m vacuuming like a mad woman!!!
I thought the source of them were under my stove so i vacuumed behind and under it, but now I’m seeing even more of them. Maybe because I’ve eliminated a food source? It’s about 6-7 a day now in the kitchen. not sure if I’ve seen any others elsewhere but its harder to find in the carpet. They haven’t damaged anything of mine yet either (or none to my knowledge) but I’m actually gearing up to move. I know people told me I should try to “manage” it, but really it’s costing me a lot of money every month to manage it and all my savings and working hard my whole life is going to go down the drain because of this bug. I’m hoping moving will give me peace of mind – unless I accidentally bring them with me or they’re already there but when I go check places out I’m bringing a flash light.
has anyone ever had a bite from them? I heard they don’t bite to people saying the larvae burrow under their skin and lay eggs (though that sounds almost impossible). I have two red marks on my thigh and stomach, very small. I’ve never seen one on my bed ( I have memory foam so it’s synthetic) and these marks don’t itch or hurt when i touch them. It looks almost like the beginnings of a small pimple but I’m not sure, and it’s an odd place to be having pimples but I could be just from all the stress.
I put boric dust all around the kitchen and edges and it seems like some of the adults have ODed on them, but I have also seen some going past the boric dust. So I don’t know what else I can do. The fact that it’s almost spring (or starting) is worrying me and I want to get out of here ASAP before it becomes full force. Do they hide in cardboard boxes? I don’t even know how to begin packing for fear they’ll hide away in the box without my knowing.
Cynthia, I believe you are seeing more because of the change of season, and they will hang out in cardboard boxes. My son had an old shoe box in his closet. He was doing a book project, I took apart the box, and as I was taking it apart, there was a carpet beetle larvae inside. BUT, the shoe box had been in there for quite sometime untouched.
I don’t have any cardboard boxes inside my house, they’re in my garage but I haven’t looked at them, but I’m just wondering when i start packing if they’ll be in there. I know since it’s spring, they’ll be coming more, but they’re in the kittchen and all the doors/windows are locked and I’m not seeing any around there. The kitchen is way away from the door. I think they’re under the floorboards or something.
I just put on some jeans i had washed and dried…There are some slightly frayed sections but i don’t knwo if that’s from them eating it or if it got snagged in the dryer. I have a front load so no agitator and the frayed areas are in 3 random spots. They look kinda like long tears…that doesnt’ seem like a carpet beetle munching pattern right?
Cynthia, As Katie says it is that time of year, they are coming out of slow hibernation mode. Cleaning makes them get more active too. I’ve seen them in cardboard boxes not only inside the box, but also in the creases of the box but also having burrowed INTO the box sides and I didn’t see them. I wouldn’t suggest keeping any cardboard boxes around for any length of time. Carpet beetles do not bite, it’s probably pimples and stress related as you say. Watch out for that memory foam, it is synthetic but the dead skin cells and hair from you, dust etc are still in the there. I had larvae living in there and I had to throw mine out as I could not figure out a way to clean it.
Cynthia, You posted while I was typing 🙂 I don’t know what to suggest, you sort of need boxes to move. I’ve found CB in stored boxes I had at my fathers place in his garage last year, as I was planning on moving too. He has CB in his place, but he’s one of the lucky ones and they didn’t ever go nuts in his house as they’ve done in mine. I don’t know what it is about clothes and those odd fraying and other wear areas, but I never had that problem before I had CB. I HAD a jean vest (that I wore all the time) that did the same thing you are describing. Not sure what to make of it all.
Barbara – did you see the larvae in the memory foam or in the surface? I check everytime i change the sheets and have not seen anything. i thnk if I see it I will throw it away instead of bringing it with me. yeah, I have old boxes i used from moving before but I will buy new ones just to be safe. But yeah I have no idea how to get around not moving in boxes.
lol and I’m not sure if the fraying was already there to begin with because the recent trend with jeans are to have that “frayed” look. I just can’t remember if they came with it or if cb did it. I’m going to go home and check my other jeans. Maybe coz this is a darker jean and since they love dark places, they chewed on it.
Cynthia, I never saw anything until I vacuumed the memory foam and whole bed in an attempt to get rid of them, and then they came out of it to the surface. The Shop Vac’s are best as they have a strong motor. Part of the ‘freak out’ then was that I did find some CB in bed with me. I also went through a few sets of sheets and comforters at the time. The last comforter, which I still have is quite frayed and worn now. When I got the place sprayed I told them about the bed, they said they normally spray mattresses + box springs and couches as that is a good place to hide for CB. There was lots of dead after they sprayed! I wonder what would happen if you sprayed the cardboard boxes before you put stuff (no food) in them? I have my jean vests made for me (I barter with a lady), both times brand new material, as in no frayed look, first vest lasted me over a decade the second one only lasted me about 3 years 2 of which I had the CB show up. Other than the initial ‘I have to wash everything’ there was no increased washing and drying of my clothes. Wash and dry, shove them into bags or totes.
If I were you, I would call some clothing companies at the local mall and ask them if you can have some boxes. They should be nice enough to tell you when they usually get their shipments in so you can come and get them after they empty them. Maybe they could even call you when they have some spare boxes. I used to work at a clothing store in the mall and most of the boxes that the clothes were shipped in were new and I never ever saw bugs in them. I think that would be better than using any boxes in the garage. I’m kinda freaky about boxes. I don’t keep any cardboard boxes in my house, or my garage. It’s a good thing though, cuz that way I don’t keep unnecessary stuff. The stuff I do keep is in rubbermaid type boxes.
I also doubt the fraying on the jeans is from carpet beetle.
I have only noticed very tiny almost square like holes in cotton shirts.
Barbara – I love how you post immediately! haha I feel almost like we’re instant chatting. I just called my landlord, and they told me that the unit that shares the wall with my kitchen is vacant and she thinks that maybe that’s where it’s coming from – similar to your neighbor. She asked if ripping out the carpets would make me feel better but I haven’t really seen much in the carpet, so I don’t think that would deter me.
Im sure they sprayed the memory foam and I did not see anything in there. So after they sprayed your memory foam, you saw a bunch dead on it or after you vacuumed? So you think if I vacuum them, they’ll come to the surface? I have always had a featherbed mattress pad between me and the sheets and the memory foam, so I don’t raelly have “direct” contact. But I haven’t seen anything in the featherbed either. I will check again to be safe. But to my knowledge I have not seen any.
I am also a big fan of the shop vac, especially since I don’t have any carpet.
Well i know one part of the jeans looks like a long snag, so I don’t think it’s carpet beetles. but another part of it looks more like circular fraying. I’m not sure fraying is the right word but since jeans are a little more thicker than cotton shirts, maybe they coudln’t eat full holes into them. ahhhh super worried now.
katie – yes I won’t reuse my old boxes. I’ll get new ones like you suggested or jsut buy them at home depot. But I’ll wait till i actually move out.
Barbara – did you ever move out or did you decide not to? Or did you move and there were CB at your new place too?
Barbara – sorry i keep posting multiple. When you say no increased washing…did putting them in bags prevent them from eating your clothes? I remember reading some users saying even though they did this, they still saw holes in their clothes. I’ve been putting my clean clothes in the spacesaver bags. hopefully them being airtight won’t get anythign in
katies, I had also noticed small squareish holes in my cotton (and other natural material) jackets, shirts, pants, socks, underwear, etc. I guess it all depends on how big the larvae was that made it. Over the last year or so I have stopped wearing as much cotton as possible. Carpets fray faster when CB are present, so I do think that the same for jeans could apply. That’s only my opinion though.
Cynthia, I use the large Ziploc bags, as well as a jumbo vinyl garment bag that hangs in my closet for keeping my clean clothes in, and I put the dirty ones into a plastic tote until I can get around to doing laundry. Keeps the bugs out, but it’s also peace of mind. I just happen to be on the computer Cynthia 🙂 No carpet is a great idea. To be honest, after I found them in bed with me, I ‘slept’ on the couch that nite … little did I know, and the next day I did the vacuuming. After sucking out, with the vacuum, all those larvae to the surface and some would not come out I just could see them wiggling in the foam I threw the memory foam out, and if I could of throw out the bed that day on my own I would have. You might not have the same Cynthia. I have cats (extra hair and dander). I also used to have a lamb skin throw on the mattress, as well as a wool blanket (those 2 got dry cleaned and are stored). After spraying there was lots dead laying around the bed, couch, chair, suitcases, etc. And later dead CB larvae falling out of the crevices, so I beat the mattress with a broom 🙂
I never moved Cynthia, not enough cash after spending all of that with other CB related stuff. Also the concept of moving bugs does not appeal to me. More holes initially showing up is a mystery as I don’t think it was new holes, maybe just old ones never noticed before or perhaps they were so small with some more washing over time they finally showed. Got to go.
Tim, how come in the squares above it automatically fills in my name and email address?
Figured it out Tim, I’m using Safari as a browser and where it hides the cookies and temp files is lots different than IE, there also is 3 different places to clear from.
Does your plastic tote have a zipper? Do you have an image of what it looks like? I just have an open hamper, which means anything could easily get into it. I should invest in something more secure but I guess I’ll do that for when I move.
Yeah I think that’s why I wanted to move, I don’t think I could afford to keep up with all the costs in trying to get rid of them when it feels like a lost cause. My rent is pretty expensive and I can’t justify paying that much for a place that will ruin most of my things. My landlords were nice enough to refund me my whole deposit and I think they won’t charge me for breaking my lease. I’ve only been here less than 6 months. I should have reported the first CB when i saw it but I really didn’t think much of it. next time I’ll be more vigilant.
Oh no Barbara the whole finding in your bed, couch, suitcase – that sounds terrible. I don’t believe mine is that bad yet….but the longer i wait the more likely it could get there. I have not seen anything on my couch. I’ve checked crevices, I moved the couch around and only found dust bunnies beneath the couch (it’s hardwood floor). It seems like the CB have avoided my couch, and just went around the perimeter near the doors/windows. Same with my bed. I think I only saw a larvae once – I could b emistaken but it was on the edge of my closet organizer thing. I check my bed everyday and since I have white sheets/bedding it’s easier to spot I believe. I had 1 down pillow but since down naturally stinks I had thrown that on the floor a long time ago before I even knew I had CB, and when I had found the bunch of them, I found one on the down pillow and threw it away. Luckily everything I have is down alternative. I’m worried about my featherbed though…but I know it has real feathers but I did nt see any CB in there either. I know a lot of people say I’m “lucky” that it hasnt’ gotten as bad as some of the folk’s stories on here, but I guess I’m naturally a pessimist. lol.
The thing is i can’t really tell if they’re dead except when i put boric acid down. Some of them looked like they ODed on them haha.
Try not to worry too much. If you let it, this will just completely take over your life and make you feel kinda crazy, and itchy, and miserable. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Just take a deep breath and relax. It’s not as bad as it seems right now. There were times when I would be so miserable and it was all I could think about, but dang we have a life to live. I’m much calmer than I was when I first discovered CB, and kinda relieved at how common this is. I even started feeling itchy and paranoid about new bumps and stuff on my skin thinking it was the CB. And I know it’s a pain to have these things, but as long as you clean regularly and spray or whatever just like you would in the past to control other bugs in the house, that’s really all you can do. And like I have said before, I truly believe they are in every house. That’s just my opinion, but I swear since I have an eye for these things, I have seen them in almost every house that I have been in. My mother in law lives in an awesome home with an awesome neighborhood, etc. and she’s got them. I was like whoah!…when I saw she had these in her house. So, I hope you don’t get too wrapped up in this that you can’t even think about anything else. I know as many others here know just how stressful it can get, but just breathe and relax. You may not even be feeling as stressed as I am saying, but I just thought I would throw that out there for everyone as a reminder.
Well said Katie…I think reading all the stuff about CBs on the Internet can make one more freaked out – it did with me. Since my obsession started with them I’ve got an eye to spotting them out and have seen them in so many different houses. Surely it can’t just be places that I visit that have them? I’ve never had them in large numbers and have never been able to figure out where they come from as I just see the odd one here and there. These bugs have made me really sick with worry, they took over my life and I don’t want this to happen to others. CBs don’t deserve it!